Hot Dogs – Page 2

Revisits – (No sandwiches at) SuperNatural Sandwiches and Daddy’s Hot Dogs

October 2, 2019 mmm-yoso Hot Dogs, Salads

I guess this one might be a R(ecommendations) & R(equests) & R(evisits) post. Here are two recommendations that were made quite recently on various posts.

(No sandwiches at) SuperNatural Sandwiches:

**** SuperNatural has closed

In the comments section of my last post on SuperNatural Sandwiches, Loren mentioned the following:

“The Kirin is my go to Salad as well, honestly I love how those flavors are great for anyone doing the keto thing.”
“Oh and if you haven’t had their plain fries (not the triton or whatever) they may be the best in SD.”

Which kind of got my attention, so when I had a chance I headed back to the Miramar location of Supernatural. And got the Kirin as a salad; which ended up being pretty huge…..

And pretty good to boot! I enjoyed this dressing more than the aioli that is used to top the sandwiches. It was a lot of greens; but mixed with the pickled veggies and cucumber and with bites of tender shrimp and sweet lup cheong in between, this was very good.

And yes Loren, those fries are really good. The potatoes have been lightly dusted, giving it a bit more of a crunch and the interior is nice and fluffy. The seasoning has enough salt and spice to keep things interesting……I only ate a few and spread the rest around the office and folks really enjoyed it.

So thanks Loren for giving me a few more options for lunchtime!

SuperNatural Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Rd. #122
San Diego, CA 92121

Daddy’s Hot Dogs:

Meanwhile, in the comments section of my last post on Chicago Fire Grill; DerekR mentioned liking the Chicago Dogs at Daddy’s Hot Dogs in Hillcrest. Which got me checking on when I did my post on Daddy’s Hot Dogs….geeez, man it was 2011!

Would you believe it’s been nearly eight years since that post! Eight years! Where has all that time gone?

After a recent meeting; I made it a point to find some parking and return to Daddy’s. He was just rolling out the two “tables” and such when I arrived and chatted me up, just like I’d been there yesterday.

The menu has changed over time, there are still a few interesting options. I ordered two dogs to go and watched “daddy” make them in his very methodical manner; nothing is rushed and things take a bit of time here.

Which all comes out when you take a look at those hot dogs.

So, what did I think? Well, Daddy splits the dogs before griddling; though they still retain a good “snap”. The buns are heated, but not steamed…..

The “Chicago Dog” is sorta, kinda, but not really a Chicago Dog; the pickled jalapenos are way hotter and less sweet than sport peppers. though it’s a visual thing, I like the look of the fluorescent-radioactive green relish. The tomatoes were decently ripe which added to the pleasure; though the flavor of the dog is definitely different than the typical Vienna Beef dog that’s used for a Chicago Dog. I appreciated the nice sprinkling of celery salt.

I also ordered the “O” and really enjoyed it. Russian dressing sounds a bit odd; but it went well with the diced tomatoes and slice of bacon……the flavor of the hot dog really complemented the rich mayo based dressing quite well and the griddled onions added some sweetness and depth of flavor to things.

I actually enjoyed this more than the Chicago Dog…..the folks in the office kept asking each other; “hey….what’s that really good smell….”

Well, it was some pretty good hot dogs from Daddy’s. I gotta get back more often,

Thanks for the recommendation DerekR!

Daddy’s Hot Dogs
1281 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

Revisits – Tim Ky and Chicago Fire Grill

August 27, 2019 mmm-yoso Hot Dogs, Vietnamese Restaurants

It's still pretty darn warm out. I think you ought to be trying to relax and keep cool rather than reading a food blog….especially since there's noodle soup involved in this post. But; if you insist, well, I'll carry on.

Tim Ky:

This was actually my first restaurant meal after returning from our last trip to Budapest – Vienna – Munich -etc, etc, etc…..

Not sure why; but I ordered the duck leg egg noodle soup. At most places of this ilk, the duck is served, but here the whole leg is served in the soup. For some unknown reason….perhaps just wanting to see if it was as bad as what I had before?

In some ways this was even worse. The skin on the duck was rubbery; the meat really dry and tough. It's hard enough trying to eat this leg in a bowl of scalding soup without making a mess; but this made things even harder. The broth tastes like salty-bitter water with a hint of five spice….though it is really hot. The noodles were nicely cooked, it still had a bit of "crunch" to it. There was one slice of shiitake mushroom.

Ok, I'm done with this here, I'll stick with the beef sate noodle "dry".

Tim Ky Noodle
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Chicago Fire Grill:

A few weeks back; before "SJK" changed departments, we were both in meetings together with a short break in between. I knew that she loved hot dogs….but strangely had never had a Chicago Dog. I thought we'd be able to grab a Chicago Dog from Chicago Fire Grill. I called in and it was ready when I got there.

The fries were the same as on previous visits. The Poppy Seed Bun was a bit more soggy than usual and the tomato under-ripe. The Vienna Beef Dog had the requisite snap and of course it had been "dragged through the garden"; though there was a bit less fluorescent green relish than usual.

Still, "SJK" who had never had a Chicago Dog loved this.

The place was packed and quite busy on this day; so I got no "words of wisdom" from the Owner. I'm hoping my next visit will be better.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

Anchorage – New Sagaya’s City Market, Anchorage Market & Festival, and the International House of Hotdogs

May 3, 2019 mmm-yoso Alaska, Hot Dogs, Markets & Grocers, Travel

It's been almost a year since we visited Alaska; I'd better get these posts done!

I had a rather fitful night of sleep in Anchorage. I guess bars close at 4am; which by the way, is when the sun was rising during our visit. Folks got back to the hotel with much banging and noise…no it wasn't the ghosts. So, after a couple more hours of restlessness, we headed downstairs. The breakfast set-up looked rather dismal, so we just grabbed some coffee and headed out. Not sure where. Past schools and houses…I believe on A Street.

We then cut westward and somehow ended up at New Sagaya's City Market, where there is a location of Kaladi Brothers Coffee.

So while the Missus stood in the queue for our caffeine fix.

It was interesting walking those aisles. I was rather surprised to see some of items being sold; like Aloha Shoyu!

We sat and enjoyed our coffee. It was interesting; you could tell who the visitors were; we still felt a bit chilly in the 50 degree weather; while we saw folks in the market walking around in shorts!

After our fix, we headed back out. But not before giving this friendly fella' a nice head scratch.

New Sagaya City Market
900 W 13th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99501

We walked back up I Street, through the large Delaney Park; an eleven block strip that used to be the airfield. It's a now a vast looking green belt.

We stopped to take a look at the Anchorage Veterans Memorial.

Soon enough we were back in downtown. We did a bit of window shopping; heading down 4th Avenue. We decided to head on over to the Anchorage Market & Festival, which takes place on weekends from 10am to 6pm from Mid-May to Mid-September.

Right at the turn to the head down to the market, is the start of the Iditarod, and this mural.

right down the stairs and across the parking lot was the Market and Festival.

There was of course entertainment…

Tons of shopping…..

Don't you want some "chimes to irritate your neighbors"?

And of course food.

And while we didn't find anything we especially felt like eating; this was a fun little stop for us.

Anchorage Market & Festival
225 E 3rd Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99501
Sat – Sun 10am – 6pm
Mid-May thru Mid September
From May 11th to September 8 for 2019

The Missus had wanted to check out the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. So we headed west on 4th Avenue. I had a stop in mind for lunch. A place called IHOH – the International House of Hotdogs. Basically a trailer set-up right behind the very popular Snow City Café.

They were doing some pretty good business at 11am.

Having enjoyed reindeer in various forms over the last couple of years; I had wanted to try a Reindeer Dog; in this case the McKinley Dog, a Reindeer Polish Sausage. We also got an order of the Cilantro Fries.

For some reason the split sausage had been pretty much griddled to death and was on the tough side, The roll did a nice job and was nice and soft, and the griddled onions did quite well. The chipotle based sauce was a bit much, as reindeer, at least in my experience has a rather delicate flavor.

Loved the seasoning on the fries; but these "crinkle-cuts" were also fried too long, the interior of the fries were dry.

It was enough food for the Missus and I to share and the service was very friendly.

International House of Hot Dogs
415 L Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
Hours:
Tues – Sun 11am – 7pm

Now it was time for me to burn off all those fries……

Midweek Meanderings – Buta Ramen Coming Soon, Spice & Soul Closes, and This Weeks Cheese Plate

April 10, 2019 mmm-yoso Cheese, Hot Dogs, Korean Restaurants, Ramen

Just a quick post this evening.

Ready for more ramen?

Buta Ramen Coming to Linda Vista:

You know we're hitting saturation point when a ramen shop is opening on Linda Vista near Morena. I was exiting the strip mall where Ballast Point is located and I saw this.

A quick search brought up two different Buta Ramen; one in Halifax and the other in Singapore. The Singapore sign looks similar, but the place recently closed. Couldn't find much else.

5201 Linda Vista Rd. Suite 103
San Diego, CA 92110

Spice & Soul is closed:

I was driving up Morena a few weeks back when I noticed that Spice & Soul looked closed. So I took a hard right and drove up Avati.

And yep, there's the eviction notice on the front door. Sad, but not unexpected. I know the place changed hands, I believe twice?

4033 Avati Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

And this week's cheese plate:

From the left to right; Montanera, a goat cheese from Spain, washed rind, fairly funky – barnyard – hay, went real well with the Muscat we had shipped back from Bott Frères in Ribeauvillé, when we visited Alsace earlier in the year. Sadly; it's our last bottle, the Missus is going to be sad to see this go. My favorite was the Amber Kunik from Nettle Meadow Farm in New York. Wonderful complex flavors, semi-soft. The rind is washed with whiskey, so we naturally had it a pour of Kavalon. Aaaahh. The Saltbush Chevre is quite unique; it's a soft goat cheese from Australia rubbed with Saltbush. Saltbush is an appropriate name; it's quite "salty", acidic, and vegetal in taste; but like Cheese.com says; it tastes amazing on bread drizzled with olive oil. The last one is a rather common goat cheese Le Pico by Germain, the Missus loved this on bread; it has a definite "goatiness" something the Missus has learned to love over the years; but also a nice buttery, richness that makes this easy to eat.

Thanks for indulging our cheese fetish!

Revisits – Chicago Fire Grill and R & B Filipino Cuisine

February 26, 2019 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Hot Dogs, Sisig

A couple of revisits for a quiet Tuesday

Chicago Fire Grill:

I'll often just drop by to hear what the owner has got on his mind….he's a hoot! And doesn't hold back.

And of course; for a totally decent Chicago Dog.

This place has gotten better over time. The roll, while not being the classic "S Rosen Mary Ann Poppy Seed Bun" was less crumbly and not as dry as usual. It was "dragged through the garden" in the typical Vienna Beef style; with all the typical players in place….fluorescent green relish? Check. Sport Peppers? Check. Celery Salt? A nice amount. Tomatoes? A bit riper than usual. The typical Vienna Beef dog had a decent snap as well.

The natural fries; while not my favorite; is done in thypical Chicago style.

And for dessert; well, I get to listen to the owner……this time he was grumbling about all those online food ordering and delivery platforms: "Geez, what the hell is going on with those Uber eats and stuff? Don't people get out from behind a desk and actually go get lunch these days? That's why they are so f*&%#@g f@+. They need to get out from that desk." I quickly and gently reminded him that he isn't the skinniest guy in the world. He stared at me; squinted and said; "hey, I like you….." I told him, "yeah…for now…until I order some ketchup on my dog." He cracked up. Priceless.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

R & B Filipino Cuisine:

Speaking of getting fat eating behind my desk……

Well, it had been awhile since I've had anything from a turo-turo place and even longer since I'd had anything from R & B. Plus; I ended up giving away half of my plate anyway.

The beef mechado was greasy; though the slices (cut too large) of beef were tender. The carrots weren't cooked, but at least the stew had a nice bit of tangy-acidity.

I got half rice – half pancit. The pancit was very mild and on the bland side; though at least it wasn't mushy and over-cooked.

Timing does matter with these type of places and we lucked out as a new tray of sisig came out of the kitchen when we were in line. Like I mentioned in my previous post; I think the sisig here has gotten better over time. It's still not top notch; but the chopped lechon kawale wasn't to waxy and had both crisp pieces and some with a nice chew. Good vinegar, pungent onions, and a decent spice. The person I gave half my plate to came by later and asked me what this was….I guess he'd never had sisig before. He loved it….I told him he "needed to get out more."

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

Chicago Fire Grill

April 22, 2018 mmm-yoso Burgers, Hot Dogs, Sandwiches

After moving to our UTC location last year, I drove down to Renaissance Towne Center to see what were some of the lunch options. I quickly noticed that JK Burgers & Hot Dogs ( it replaced the long standing Chicago on a Bun which I first posted on back in 2005 a few years ago)was gone and had been replaced by a shop named Chicago Fire Grill.

I love my Chicago Dogs (the Missus especially enjoys SuperDawg), so much so that I even ordered one at Hot Doug's (after I ate the Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage of course). So, I decided to stop by.

The design of the place remains the same….though now it's bright yellow. another very unique thing about this shop id the Owner, George, who chats everyone up, has very unique opinions, and always cracks me up. He does remind me of the colorful characters I've met from or in Chicago.

So of course I got the Chicago Dog, priced nicely at six bucks, which comes with what I call very typical Chicago "Natural" style fries.

The fries were very hot, potato-ey, and really reminded me of what you'd get at places like Jean and Jude's Red Hots. Usually not my favorite style since it can get soggy and there not much crispness; but this was pretty good.

The dog; from Vienna Beef had a nice snap, the dog had, in the typical way been "dragged through the garden", with tomatoes (a bit too unripe), sport peppers (a favorite), the radioactive fluorescent green relish, and the typical, standard issue poppy see roll. I didn't ask if it was a Mary Ann Poppy Seed Bun, but it sure looked the part.

The roll didn't stand up for very long. It was also cold; so I don't think it had been steamed. Other than needing celery salt; this was a good facsimile, and a good deal at six bucks. Plus George's unending rambling to customers cracked me up.

I was told to come back and get the Lamb Burger. Being a good soldier, that's exactly what I did. A lamb burger and fries for nine bucks ain't too bad these days. It was pretty hefty.

The fries didn't hold up too well on the very short drive to the office.

The burger itself looked fairly messy, but the bun really stood up well.

Loved the gaminess. When I was asked for doneness, I answered "medium", thinking, like many burger places in San Diego, this was just a question and my burger was going to be well done regardless of what I said. I was wrong; it was moist, with a nice chew, and totally medium.

Loved the milky-saltiness of the feta cheese, and the nice mild acidity and creaminess of the tzatziki. Nice pungent onions helped cut through any richness….though again, the tomatoes weren't ripe enough to add anything to the sandwich.

Overall, a pretty good burger.

Having been quite satisfied with my previous two choices, I decided to revisit and order the one item that call Chicago home that I enjoy more than a Chicago Dog……an Italian Beef sandwich. Which I ordered "wet"……..

While the roll; a perfectly respectful Gonnella Roll; I'm thinking par-baked, held up well. The beef was really tough and surprisingly dry. It also lacked flavor and the jus, of which the folks at the shop nicely packed for me wasn't beefy; it had way too much herbs in it and was quite greasy.

The fries this time around were also on the greasy side, I'm thinking from the jus that had dripped on it.

Well, two out of three ain't bad.

I'll keep coming by; basically for the Chicago Dogs and the prices. I'll definitely try some of the other sausages and burgers….but that Italian Beef is definitely a "no go"…..oh, and I'm definitely looking forward to George's "words of wisdom" as well.

You can read Soo's post on Chicago Fire Grill here.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122
Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 9pm
Sat – Sun Noon – 9pm

Reykjavik – Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (“The Best Hotdog in Town?) and Other “Stuffs”

November 14, 2017 mmm-yoso Hot Dogs, Iceland, Iceland Food and Restaurants, Travel

After lunch, we went…well shopping of course. One of the first stops was Icewear. The Missus found a really nice down jacket, I found e style I really liked, but the color I wanted wasn't in stock. Leave it to the nice folks at the shop to find that they had my size and color at another shop down the street! So we headed down the street to pick it up….past some rather interesting shops.

The Bad Taste Record Store and the Chuck Norris Grill? Really! You couldn't help but smile. There were Chuck Norris "facts" posted on the windows of the shop. Who needs the "Most interesting Man in the World" when you got Chuck Norris, right? What I'm wondering is did Chuck Norris ever visit his "namesake" grill in Reykjavik? Now that would be some story, right?

We got back to the apartment, in time to take a short nap. Upon wakening, the Missus was itching to take a nice little walk.

Tjörnin was looking a beautiful as ever.

We took a nice stroll around "The Pond".

And then headed down some of the side streets. Admittedly, I had an agenda……a stop at a place that folks claimed had "the best hotdog in the world", Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur .

This location, on Tryggvagata is probably the most well known for visitors. This is where Bill Clinton was offered and accepted a Pylsur…….not exactly the seal of approval, nor was the visits of other folks who seem to be famous, for being famous. But heck, I was intrigued, so I decided to get one with mustard and remoulade (a mustard, mayo, and caper sauce).

I enjoyed the snap of the sausage; though I found the roll to be too cold and almost stale in texture. I enjoyed the flavor of the hotdog, a combination of lamb, pork, and beef, a mild gamey-wildness, that I found enjoyable, but the Missus didn't like. I found the sauces to be too sweet for my taste….still I had a fun time trying this.

While the Missus wasn't amused, I was happy to have tried this.

Baejarins Beztu Pylsur
Tryggvagata 1
Reykjavik 101, Iceland

What was even more fun was this……

Iceland Airwaves was set to start in a few days. We found that there were many small venues set-up all over town; in coffee shops, bars, retail stores, where performers would also play in addition to the larger halls. Really nice. We enjoyed this kind of heavy-metal, jazz violinist…..amazing!

We were having a great time!

Vancouver – Coal Harbour, the Waterfront, and Japadog

June 24, 2017 mmm-yoso Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, Hot Dogs, Travel, Vancouver, Canada

After checking out Granville Public Market; the Missus had a "great" idea. Why don't we walk back and do some shopping and check out the waterfront? The Missus knows I love to watch seaplanes….so that was the "carrot". How could I refuse?

So we headed back up Hornby, made a short stop at the apartment to drop off leftovers; then went to check-out the Lululemon Store on Robson. Gladly, the Missus didn't find anything She wanted……even for me!

We then walked down Robson….took a right and ended up at Harbour Park. This piece of public art is called "Solo" by Natalie McHaffie.

You can read more about it here.

Here's an interesting tidbit; some historic ties to Hawaii.

If you're curious, you can find more info here which I found quite interesting.

It was a beautiful crystal clear day.

And folks were out and about. This dapper fellow was having a great time. Dig the bowtie!

It was fun walking along the Waterfront, all the little scenes, each a small story.

Though not everyone is interested in what's going on.

This guy got a few bucks from us…….he looked like Henry Gibson; dressed in pastels, had a slightly high, nasal, airy singing voice….and a ton of guts! Looks at the young ladies just digging it!

He was singing "What a Wonderful World" and actually pointed at the roses during the "Red Roses Too" line, which got the girls giggling. Ain't it a wonderful world?

And of course, my favorite; the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre. We often talk about the Missus's "Bucket List". Flying on one of these is one mine. Strangely, I have a fear of heights, but having flown in small planes a bit during my childhood, I'm not really bothered by them.

I just loved watching folks board the planes. I actually saw a family with two kids and a dog board one and take-off.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who enjoys watching the Seaplanes.

It was quite obvious that Anime Revolution was still going on when we got close to the Convention Center.

There was one piece of Public Art that I wanted to see in the area. It's called the Digital Orca by Douglas Coupland. Did you love Lego as a kid? This almost 3-D depiction looks really great against the water and clear blue sky.

And laid back Vancouver, with the cast of characters from Anime Revolution….well, you can't help but smile.

And just go with the flow.

Lots of photo opportunities…..

In case you have doubts….this is still a food blog….so here we go.

I'd heard and seen a lot about Japadogs in Vancouver and more than one person I knew mentioned it as a "must try". Even though we were but a block and change from the Robson Street location, I just wasn't motivated.

But when standing in front of this.

Well, I guess we can call that "fate", right? Anyway, it seemed like a good time for a snack before dinner. So I ordered a Beef Terimayo.

I enjoyed the snap of the beef hotdog, the Missus really enjoyed the combination of mayo (seemed to be of the Kewpie variety – a little sweet) and the teriyaki sauce. She didn't care for the umami-oceany flavor of the nori, which She thought clashed with the teri-mayo. I enjoyed the fried onions and the overall texture, though the roll was a bit on the hard side.

A bit over-hyped? Perhaps; but not a bad hotdog at all.

Japadog – several locations. This cart in front of the Waterfront Skytrain Station
Between Granville and Cordova St

Where in the world are we part deux

November 4, 2016 mmm-yoso France, Hot Dogs, Iceland, Iceland Food and Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

We finished up our time in Paris visiting…..well, those must see locales.

And capped things off with what might be one of the best meals we've ever had.

We then headed off to our current location. A place where you can experience the power and wonder of nature. Now a very popular destination during the summer. It is still impressive during the slow season.

In a single word……breathtaking.

And the cold and rain hasn't dampened our spirits as we've gotten to see some amazing things.

The food here is distinctive. With items like minke whale…..

Trout smoked over sheep dung.

Cod head……

Fermented shark.

Mashed fish……they make fabulous rye bread here too.

They also claim to make one of the best hot dogs in the world too.

The sun is setting on our final day here.

Tomorrow we head to an interim destination then home. It's been an unforgettable trip.

We haven't had a bad meal yet. I hope this last one will not end the streak

Thanks as always for reading!

Easter Island – Our Arrival, Ahu Tahai, Club Sandwich, and Piroto Henua

July 22, 2016 mmm-yoso Easter Island, Easter Island Restaurants, Hot Dogs, Travel

As much as I enjoyed staying at the Lastarria Boutique Hotel, there was one little problem. The floorboards creaked quite loudly when walking on them. I was always worried about waking folks. Then the folks staying in the unit above us got back at about 2am; slamming the door and stomping about. I couldn't get back to sleep! Our shuttle came to pick us up at 5am and I was exhausted by the time our flight left at 750. In what I would consider a great stroke of luck, when I booked our flight to Hanga Roa, I noticed how cheap the business class fare was, so I just jumped on it. The prices for business class on the return was somewhat prohibitive, so that was a no-go. I was just glad to be able to sleep for a couple of hours during the 6 hour flight to Hanga Roa. LAN has fairly new 787s which are quite comfortable. There's one flight a day; to and from Hanga Roa. Five days of the week from Santiago and two from Tahiti; that's it. So it seems like quite a big deal when a flight arrives.

The place we were staying at had arranged for a shuttle from the airport. First thing you do after going down the stairs and walking off the tarmac is to go and get your tickets for Parque Nacional Rapa Nui. Most of the island, other than Hanga Roa is a National Park and you need admission for two of the sights. The tickets are good for 5 days from the first day of entrance; though you're only allowed one visit to Orongo and one visit to Rano Rarako. Also, there seemed to be random checks at various sights.

Having checked no luggage meant that we got to our shuttle quickly as the exit mob soon formed. It might look like a lot of people, but there really weren't any crowds at any of the sights we visited. Everyone else in business class on the flight (it was a Monday morning) seemed to be construction folks….I guess they've made this journey many times and have a nice stash of miles.

Funny thing; the place we were staying at; the wonderful Marae – Cabañas Premium was maybe a 15 minute walk from the airport! We could have walked over! The woman running this little compound of 3 cottages; named Vero was just fantastic. The cottages were huge! She also coordinated a vehicle for us; the Missus didn't want a tour, so we got a little Daihatsu Terios which was just perfect for our needs.

Of course, as soon as the vehicle arrived, the Missus just needed to see some Moai! So, to get adjusted to the vehicle, I drove thru the single main street of Hanga Roa, Atamu Tekena, and went to the North end of the town. I was told to look for the "cemetary". I found some parking on the street…….

Just north of these replica Moai along the rugged shoreline is the area known as Ahu Tahai.

There are three "Ahu" (shrines) here.

"Vai Ure" has five Moai of various sizes and in various states. Right to the north is Tahai. Worn and eroded; this Moai has a gaunt haunting look. Right past Tahai is Ko Te Riku, with the traditional top knot called a Pukao, which were carved from a reddish volcanic stone known as scoria. We'd actually visit the single quarry that produced the pukao later on the trip. For some reason, the eyes, which were painted based on a replica found during the 70's kind of creeped me out.

Easter Island had always been on the Missus' bucket list and She just couldn't take enough photos of the Moai……she'd take nearly 800 during our short time in Easter Island.

After the Missus had Her fill of photos, we decided to grab lunch. So we headed back to Hang Roa proper. Unfortunately, this being Monday, lunch option #1 was closed (named Casa Esquina they'd also be closed on Tuesday), as was option #2. We had parked the car along the main street on Hanga Roa.

We saw that this place was doing some pretty good business. A shop named "Club Sandwich".

The place had an interesting mix of tourists and locals. I'd come to find out that this was one of the more affordable places to eat in Hanga Roa.

So we decided to order a couple of things….I saw a couple of huge burgers being delivered to tables….it was just too much. So we ordered two empanadas and I was curious about the Hot Dog with Egg….Chileans love their hot dogs…..man, this was pretty over-the-top.

The bun was toasted, but really nothing special; nor was the hot dog. The best thing about this were the eggs……good eggs on Easter Island.

Not having really researched the empanadas, we were surprised at how large they were. The Missus got a cheese, which we ended up having for breakfast the next day.

I got the sausage version.

The good? Well, the salsa like condiment, which is basically Chilean "pebre" was really good, nice balance of spice-acid-salt. Think of this as a "pig-in-a-blanket" enrobed in an empanada shell…with cheese, lots of gooey cheese.

The meal was quite inexpensive; but not quite what the Missus thought we'd be having on Easter Island. Me? Well, this was island life…….especially walking into the markets…..it reminded me of visiting my grandparents; both in Honolua and Lana'i during the 60's and early 70's. And even growing up….Vienna sausage, Hot Dogs, Spam…….not very much in the way of "green" going on unless it was from your garden. It was all quite familiar.

Club Sandwich
Atamu Tekena
Easter Island, Chile

We did some quick shopping and headed back to our home away from home……..

We had a nice nap, then headed back to town, taking the round about way along the ocean side. It was time for dinner, but unfortunately option #1 was closed the entire time we were there….and for some reason, due to darkness, I couldn't find option #2, which was the same option #2 we looked at for lunch. By now, the Missus was frustrated and told me, let's just head back and have the cheese empanada….talk about desperate times. Along the way, we passed what we thought was a little restaurant. Turned out, this was a sports/karaoke bar……man, just like home! Named Piroto Henua. Since we were along the main road right across from the airport, I just went to the side and the Missus ran in and asked about parking….which was in the lot behind the place.

This being a Monday night, not much was going on.

But he made the Missus a Pisco Sour to Her standards (not too sweet)…..

And I got a bottle (I already had a six pack in the fridge that I hadn't touched) of the local brew; the Mahina Pale Ale.

Typical; light, nice, white head, slightly fruity, easy to drink.

Looking at the menu, I decided on what I thought would be a typical bar dish…..and decided on the Chorrillana Classico. The origin of which is subject of debate; it's either Peruvian originating from Chorrillos or classic Chilean pub grub. But at this moment, we really didn't care.

Loved the flower presentation by the way. For me, this tasted like Lomo Saltado…with much more fries, crowned with fried eggs…..so for a San Diego; think of it as thick cut carne asada fries topped with an egg. Talk about classic bar food.

I believe this was 11,000CLP; about $16.50. This wasn't bad at all, except for the papa fritas which were a bit on the cardboardish side. Still, what do you expect? We quickly found that the eggs on Easter Island tasted really good. I'd take this over TGIFriday's any day of the week.

Piroto Henua
Hotu Matua
Easter Island, Chile

Funny thing, we were now on the road in front of the airport. Our cabanas was close by. The Missus had some landmarks in mind as to where to turn….unfortunately, the landmarks were statues alongside the airport. Remember that I mentioned that the airport features one flight a day? So what happens after the flight leaves? Well, they close down the "International" Airport of course. So that side of the road was completely dark. Still, this is Hanga Roa…..I had recalled a stone wall and some shrubs and turned there. Island life remember? As in typical instructions when I was growing up…."go mauka, turn left befoa' da long stone wall….wen' you see the white wall on your left and the beeeg hedges on the right, you dea', ok"?

OK…….just like home.